US5639518A - Method for manufacturing biodegradable molded articles - Google Patents

Method for manufacturing biodegradable molded articles Download PDF

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US5639518A
US5639518A US08/501,231 US50123195A US5639518A US 5639518 A US5639518 A US 5639518A US 50123195 A US50123195 A US 50123195A US 5639518 A US5639518 A US 5639518A
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Prior art keywords
heating
molded articles
biodegradable
frequency
biodegradable material
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Sadamasa Ando
Taizo Karasawa
Akio Ozasa
Takayuki Kurisaka
Yoshiyuki Otani
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Nissei Co Ltd
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Nissei Co Ltd
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Assigned to NISSEI KABUSHIKI KAISHA reassignment NISSEI KABUSHIKI KAISHA ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: ANDO, SADAMASA, KARASAWA, TAIZO, KURISAKA, TAKAYUKI, OTANI, YOSHIYUKI, OZASA, AKIO
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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
    • C08J—WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H
    • C08J5/00—Manufacture of articles or shaped materials containing macromolecular substances
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C67/00—Shaping techniques not covered by groups B29C39/00 - B29C65/00, B29C70/00 or B29C73/00
    • B29C67/24—Shaping techniques not covered by groups B29C39/00 - B29C65/00, B29C70/00 or B29C73/00 characterised by the choice of material
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C35/00—Heating, cooling or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanising; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C35/02—Heating or curing, e.g. crosslinking or vulcanizing during moulding, e.g. in a mould
    • B29C35/12—Dielectric heating
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C48/00—Extrusion moulding, i.e. expressing the moulding material through a die or nozzle which imparts the desired form; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C48/25—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
    • B29C48/78—Thermal treatment of the extrusion moulding material or of preformed parts or layers, e.g. by heating or cooling
    • B29C48/80—Thermal treatment of the extrusion moulding material or of preformed parts or layers, e.g. by heating or cooling at the plasticising zone, e.g. by heating cylinders
    • B29C48/83—Heating or cooling the cylinders
    • B29C48/832—Heating
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29K—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR MOULDS, REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
    • B29K2096/00—Use of specified macromolecular materials not provided for in a single one of main groups B29K2001/00 - B29K2095/00, as moulding material

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing biodegradable molded articles which are decomposable by bacteria, microbes, etc. in the soil.
  • Plastics are generally used as materials for molded articles such as containers, packaging materials, etc.
  • the plastics have the following disadvantages which give rise to problems in their waste treatment after use.
  • the biodegradability thereof is extremely low and sometimes a toxic gas is generated when they are incinerated.
  • the disposal (burying, incinerating, compositing, etc.) of plastics has caused serious social and environmental problems.
  • molded articles which can be decomposed by bacteria, microbes, etc. in the soil.
  • the molded articles which are made from biodegradable materials. When such molded articles are buried in the soil, they are easily decomposed as mentioned above, thereby eliminating the problem associated with the waste disposal of the conventional molded articles made from plastics. Moreover, it is safe to use such molded articles, for example, as containers for foods.
  • the biodegradable molded articles are manufactured by placing biodegradable raw materials in a mold heated beforehand to a predetermined temperature, by application of conventional thermal conductive heating.
  • the biodegradable molded articles are formed in any desired shapes with an application of pressure by means of a high pressure press.
  • the mold can be heated beforehand to a higher temperature.
  • a great difference in temperature arises between the surface portion and the inside portion of the material to be molded, thereby presenting the resulting in a non-homogeneous structure of the molded articles.
  • An objective of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing biodegradable molded articles, which is capable of carrying out mass production of quality molded articles with an improved energy efficiency in a shorter time without resulting in an unfavorable working environment or high costs for equipment, such as a large-scale apparatus.
  • the first method for manufacturing biodegradable molded articles in accordance with the present invention is characterized by application of high-frequency electroconductive heating and/or high-frequency dielectric heating to a biodegradable material.
  • Electroconductive heating In electroconductive heating, an object is placed between and in contact with electrodes to which a suitable voltage is applied. Then, heat is generated throughout the entire object by applying an electric current to the object directly through the electrodes. Thus, the temperature of the object is rapidly and uniformly increased by this heat generation.
  • Electroconductive heating is classified into two types, high-frequency electroconductive heating which usually uses a current having a frequency in the range of from 100 kHz to several MHz and low-frequency electroconductive heating which usually uses a current having a frequency not higher than 100 kHz.
  • High-frequency dielectric heating usually uses an electric field having a frequency specified as an ISM (Industrial, Scientific and Medical use) band among frequencies between several MHz and several tens GHz.
  • ISM International, Scientific and Medical use
  • biodegradable molded articles which do not require a complicated process for their disposal are efficiently manufactured by the application of high-frequency electroconductive heating and/or high-frequency dielectric heating without resulting in an unfavorable working environment. Namely, by applying high-frequency electroconductive heating and/or high-frequency dielectric heating to the biodegradable material, the heat is generated in the biodegradable material itself.
  • this method is superior to conventional thermal conductive heating and has the following advantages:
  • high-frequency electroconductive heating and/or high-frequency dielectric heating has the following advantages.
  • the second method for manufacturing biodegradable molded articles is based on the first method, and is characterized by application of low-frequency electroconductive heating.
  • low-frequency electroconductive heating is used as well as high-frequency electroconductive heating and/or high-frequency dielectric heating. It is therefore possible to design a desired process using the following advantages of each heating method.
  • Low-frequency electroconductive heating has the advantage of uniformly heating the entire material in a shorter time particularly, for example, when the moisture content of the material is relatively high.
  • high-frequency electroconductive heating and high-frequency dielectric heating have the advantages of uniformly heating the entire material in a shorter time particularly, for example, when the moisture content of the material is low.
  • the material itself is first uniformly heated using low-frequency electroconductive heating. Then, when the moisture content of the material is lowered, the material is uniformly heated using high-frequency electroconductive heating and/or high-frequency dielectric heating. It is thus possible to produce a molded article in a shorter time compared with the case where low-frequency electroconductive heating, high-frequency electroconductive heating or high-frequency dielectric heating is used alone.
  • High-frequency electroconductive heating, high-frequency dielectric heating, and low-frequency electroconductive heating are successively performed.
  • the third method for manufacturing biodegradable molded articles is based on the first or second method, and is characterized by using an extruder.
  • Extrusion is generally used for molding thermoplastic resins in the industry, and is also generally used in food industry.
  • Extrusion is a technique whereby a material placed into a cylinder, having a screw therein is mixed, kneaded, sheared, compressed, heated, expanded, and so on by rotating the screw.
  • the extruding technique it is possible to continuously perform two or more types of independent operations such as compressing, mixing, kneading, shearing, heating, and expanding simultaneously within a short time by placing the material in the cylinder installed in an extruder, rotating the screw and through extruding the material from a die.
  • a target biodegradable molded article is produced by heating an object removed from the extruder by the above-mentioned high-frequency electroconductive heating. It is also possible to employ a method using high-frequency dielectric heating instead of high-frequency electroconductive heating, a method in which high-frequency dielectric heating is performed after high-frequency electroconductive heating, or a method in which high-frequency electroconductive heating is performed after high-frequency dielectric heating. Alternatively, it is possible to perform low-frequency electroconductive heating in combination with these methods.
  • the molded articles manufactured by the above-mentioned methods are applicable to a wide variety of areas.
  • Some examples of such applications of the molded articles are: food containers for hamburgers, hot dogs, French fried potato, deep fried chicken, Japanese takoyaki, sausages, rice cakes, rice, ice cream, Chinese noodle, Japanese noodle, stew, soup, curry, vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, dried foods, cold and hot drinks such as juice, coffee, beer, tea, milk, etc., and edible containers such as cone cups for ice cream.
  • the molded articles of the present invention can be used for a variety of products, for example, flowerpots, golf tees, packaging materials, garbage containers, chopsticks, folding fans, etc.
  • the molded articles of this invention can be easily made lighter in weight or thinner. For instance, it is advantageous to have lighter, thinner food containers, since the containers can be stacked in a reduced volume making it possible to transport and store the molded articles with improved efficiency.
  • the molded articles of this invention are biodegradable, they are easily decomposed by microbes, bacteria, etc., in the soil when buried. Therefore, the problem of environmental disruption associated with disposal of ordinary plastic containers can be eliminated. Although the period required for the degradation differs depending on the materials used, it generally takes about 2 to 10 weeks.
  • the waste molded articles may be disposed of by burying them in the soil, or may be used as feed for animals, depending on the materials used. It is also possible to compost the molded articles as a fertilizer.
  • FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of molds used for the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of molds used for the present invention.
  • FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing still another example of molds used for the present invention.
  • FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing still another example of molds used for the present invention.
  • FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing still another example of molds used for the present invention.
  • FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing still another example of molds used for the present invention.
  • FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing still another example of molds used for the present invention.
  • FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a material before molding, prepared by placing a soybean protein sheet on each side of a material to be molded according to a method for manufacturing biodegradable molded articles of the present invention.
  • FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a molded article produced from the material to be molded shown in FIG. 8.
  • devices used in some of the examples of the present invention are explained.
  • the following examples use six types of devices: four types of electromagnetic heating devices (A to D), one conventional thermal conductive heating device (E) for comparative purposes and one extruder (F) for preparing a material.
  • the structures of these devices are discussed below.
  • the electromagnetic heating devices are a high-frequency electroconductive heating device A, a high-frequency dielectric heating device B, a high-frequency dielectric heating device C, and a low-frequency electroconductive heating device D.
  • the high-frequency electroconductive heating device A includes a power source operated at 60 Hz and 200 V, a power control device, a frequency changer for converting frequencies ranging from several hundred kHz to several MHz, and electrodes.
  • the high-frequency dielectric heating device B includes a power source operated at 60 Hz and 200 V, a power control device, oscillators of 13.56 MHz, 27.12 MHz and 40.68 MHz, and electrodes.
  • the high-frequency dielectric heating device C includes a power source operated to 60 Hz and 200 V, a power control device, oscillators of 13.56 MHz, 27.12 MHz, 40.68 MHz and 2450 MHz, and an electromagnetic radiation space.
  • the low-frequency electroconductive heating device D includes a power source operated at 60 Hz and 200 V, a power control device, and electrodes.
  • the conventional thermal conductive heating device E includes a power source operated at 60 Hz and 200 V, and a temperature changeable heating plate.
  • the extruder F is a twin screw extruder including a sheet shaping die.
  • the power sources of the devices A to E are industrial-use power sources with a voltage of 200 V and a frequency of 60 Hz.
  • the power control devices in the devices A to D are devices for regulating outputs at an arbitrary constant output level.
  • the frequency changer in the device A is a device for converting a current with a frequency of 60 Hz into a current with an arbitrary frequency within the range of from several hundred kHz to several MHz and outputting the resultant current.
  • the oscillators in the devices B and C are devices for producing oscillations only at predetermined frequencies.
  • the electrodes in the devices A, B and D are devices for supplying a high-frequency current or a low-frequency current to a material to be molded through a mold.
  • the electromagnetic radiation space in the device C is a space surrounded by metal plates, in which electromagnetic waves are radiated while reflecting the electromagnetic waves within the space without leakage.
  • the material to be molded is placed into a mold or a supporting member such as a container, made of a material that passes electromagnetic waves, and molding is performed by inserting the mold or the supporting member into the above space and by performing heating.
  • the temperature changeable heating plate in the device E is a heating plate incorporating a nichrome wire to which a power source is connected.
  • a heating plate incorporating a nichrome wire to which a power source is connected.
  • electric power is applied only to the nichrome wire.
  • This heating plate is used for heating the mold mounted on the heating plate.
  • the heating plate has a temperature control function.
  • a material is placed into a desired mold, and an electric current is applied to the material through the mold mounted on electrodes.
  • a material is placed in direct contact with a mold mounted on electrodes.
  • the material is placed into a desired mold, positioned in an electric field (electromagnetic radiation space), and subjected to dielectric heating.
  • FIGS. 1 to 7 Seven examples of the mold for use in some examples of the present invention are shown in FIGS. 1 to 7.
  • Each of the molds M1 to M7 has either or both a conducting section 11, which permits the flow of a current therein, and an insulating section 12 which prevents the flow of a current therein.
  • a material which is entirely made of aluminum or stainless steel was used as the conducting section 11 in this example.
  • Materials for the conducting section 11 are not particularly limited to those mentioned above, and there is no need to form the entire body of the conducting section 11 by metal if conductive metal which is in contact with the electrodes is exposed on the surface of the material to be molded, i.e., at the contact of the conducting section 11 and the material.
  • the exposed section of the surface may be formed by meshes or lines of metal.
  • the conducting metal is not limited to the above-mentioned two kinds of metal, and suitable materials, for example, steel or iron may be used. It is also possible to adjust the amount of current flowing through an object to be heated, to prevent materials. The location, spark and a local current at the interface, and to improve mold release characteristics by coating the surface of the conducting metal with ceramics and fluorocarbon resins such as Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene).
  • a PEEK polyether ether ketone
  • polyimide resin ceramics, resin-coated wood, etc.
  • any materials for example, resins including synthetic resins such as plastics and natural resins, and leathers, may be used as long as these materials have suitable electrical insulating properties and strength.
  • dielectric heating any materials may be used as long as they have electrical insulating properties, a small dielectric loss and suitable strength.
  • Each of the molds M1 to M3 is a mold for molding a tray, and has a width of 150 mm, a length of 250 mm, and a height of 20 mm.
  • Each of the molds M4 to M7 is a mold for molding a cube, and has a width of 100 mm, a length of 100 mm, and a height of 100 mm.
  • Each of the molds M1 to M7 is provided with a hole or a slit for removing vapor which is generated during the manufacture of molded articles and excess raw materials.
  • the number, size and shape of the hole or slit are freely determined depending on the amount of vapor to be generated during manufacturing, the size and shape of the molded article, and the kind of material to be heated.
  • the molds M1 to M7 may be fixed, if necessary, during the manufacture of molded articles.
  • biodegradable molded articles using a mold
  • method for manufacturing biodegradable molded articles of the present invention is not limited to methods using a mold.
  • the way of using the mold is not limited to those mentioned above.
  • a material in the form of a liquid, dough or slurry is prepared by uniformly agitating and mixing biodegradable raw materials with a mixer.
  • a sheet is produced by applying low-frequency electroconductive heating or high-frequency electroconductive heating to the material prepared by the preparation method 1. Then, the processed sheet is cut into a suitable size and used as a material to be molded. The sheet may be divided into pellets and used as a material to be molded.
  • Biodegradable raw materials are placed into the extruder in the device F.
  • the resulting sheet is cut into a suitable size and used as a material to be molded.
  • biodegradable molded articles In a method for manufacturing biodegradable molded articles according to this example, soybean protein and water are used as raw materials. However, any biodegradable materials which are decomposable by bacteria, microbes, etc. in the soil are usable as raw materials.
  • proteins including vegetable proteins and animal proteins, such as soybean protein, corn protein, casein, gluten, egg white, milk protein, wheat protein, collagen, microbe protein (single-cell protein), and mixtures thereof;
  • grain such as soybean (or soybean powder), corn (or corn powder) and wheat (or flour), materials including proteins, for example, eggs, dairy products, and mixtures thereof;
  • starches such as corn starch, potato starch, tapioca starch, rice starch, sweet potato starch and wheat starch, starch derivatives such as ⁇ -starches or denatured starches of the above, and mixtures thereof;
  • residues resulting from producing processed foods made from grains, (for example, the residue from TOFU (soybean curd) processing, which is called OKARA in Japan), residues, such as beer yeast, resulting from production of liquors (Japanese sake, distilled spirits and beer, etc.) from grains, and mixtures thereof;
  • residues such as wheat bran, rice bran, rice hull, etc. resulting from refining grains, residues such as gluten meal resulting from starch production, and mixtures thereof;
  • any of the materials recited in (1) to (5) above may be used.
  • Some other examples are:
  • saccharides for example, monosaccharides, such as glucose and fructose, disaccharides such as sucrose, maltose and lactose, oligosaccharides, corn syrup, dextrins, isometric saccharides, and mixtures thereof;
  • sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, mannitol, lactitol, and mixtures thereof;
  • fats and oils such as vegetable fats and oils, animal fats and oils, processed vegetable and animal fats and oils, and mixtures thereof;
  • wax such as carnauba wax, candelilla wax, beeswax, paraffin wax, microcrystalline wax, and mixtures thereof;
  • thickening polysaccharides including those produced from microbes, for example, xanthan gum and gellan gum, and those produced from plants, for example, guar gum, locust bean gum, pectin gum, arabic gum, karaya, tara gum, carageenan, furcellaran, agar, alginic acid, salts thereof, and mixtures thereof;
  • salts of compounds for example, chloride, sulfate, organic oxide, nitride, carbonate, hydroxide, phosphoride of metals such as calcium, sodium, potassium, aluminum, magnesium and iron, and mixtures thereof;
  • insoluble minerals such as ground quartz, diatomite, talc and silicone, and mixtures thereof;
  • (13) vegetable fibers such as cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, paper, carboxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose and acetylcellulose, their derivatives, and mixtures thereof;
  • inorganic substances such as glass, metal, carbon and ceramics, fibers thereof, structural materials thereof, and mixtures thereof;
  • seashells powdered bones, eggshells, leaves, powdered wood, and mixtures thereof;
  • non-fiber fillers such as calcium carbonate, carbon, talc, titanium dioxide, silica gel and aluminum oxide, and mixtures thereof;
  • fatty acids such as stearic acid, lactic acid and lauric acid, salts such as metal salts thereof, fatty acid derivatives such as amide acid and ether, and mixtures thereof;
  • glycerin polyglycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, esters of fatty acid with glycerin, esters of fatty acid with polyglycerin, esters of fatty acid with propylene glycol, sugar ester, lecithin, esters of fatty acid with sorbitan, polysorbate, or other food additives, and mixtures thereof;
  • plasticizer which is one of the auxiliary materials
  • any materials recited in (1) to (17) and (19) may be used.
  • esters of fatty acid with glycerin esters of fatty acid with polyglycerin, esters of fatty acid with propylene glycol, sugar esters, esters of fatty acid with sorbitan, lecithin, polysorbate, and mixtures thereof.
  • any material listed in (1) to (3), (6), (7), (10), (13) (excluding paper), (17) above, or (24) a mixture of these stabilizing agents may be used.
  • a separating agent may be selected from materials listed in (8), (9), (17) above, or (25) mixtures of these separating agents.
  • An agent for adjusting the texture and homogeneity of the molded articles may be selected from the materials listed (1) to (21) above, or (26) mixtures of these adjusting agents.
  • a water and moisture resistance imparting agent may be selected from the materials listed in (1), (8), (9), (11), (12), (19) above, or (27) mixtures of these water and moisture resistance imparting agents.
  • a humectant may be selected from the materials listed in (1) to (11), (13), (15) to (18) above, or (28) mixtures of these humectants.
  • a material handling adjusting agent may be selected from any materials that can be used as plasticizers, emulsifying agents, and stabilizing agents, or (29) mixtures thereof.
  • electrical conductivity adjusting agents are: the materials noted in (8) to (11) above; (30) amino acid salts, such as monosodium glutamate, nucleotic acid salts, such as sodium inosinate, conventionally used seasonings, such as vinegar, Japanese sake, Japanese sweet sake (used as seasoning), spices, mustard, Japanese horseradish and Japanese miso, and mixtures thereof; and (31) mixtures of the above electrical conductivity adjusting agents.
  • amino acid salts such as monosodium glutamate
  • nucleotic acid salts such as sodium inosinate
  • conventionally used seasonings such as vinegar, Japanese sake, Japanese sweet sake (used as seasoning), spices, mustard, Japanese horseradish and Japanese miso, and mixtures thereof
  • seasonings such as vinegar, Japanese sake, Japanese sweet sake (used as seasoning), spices, mustard, Japanese horseradish and Japanese miso, and mixtures thereof
  • mixtures of the above electrical conductivity adjusting agents are: the materials noted in (8) to (11) above; (30) amino acid salts, such as monos
  • the dielectric loss adjusting agents may be selected from the materials listed in (8), (9), (11), (12), (14) and (30) above, (32) zirconinum salt, ammonium zirconium carbonate solution, and (33) mixtures of the above materials.
  • preservatives are (34) sorbic acid and salts thereof (potassium salt, sodium salt, etc.), benzoic acid, salts thereof (potassium salt, sodium salt, etc.), ester compounds of benzoic acid, dehydroacetic acid, salts thereof (potassium salt, sodium salt, etc.), thiabenzazole, OPP (orthophenylphenol), salts thereof (potassium salt, sodium salt, etc.,), diphenyl, and mixtures of the above materials.
  • expanding agents are (35) benzenesulfohydrazine compound, azonitrile compound, nitroso compound, diazoacetamide compound, azocarboxylic acid compound, ammonia system baking powder, sodium bicarbonate, ammonium alum, tartaric hydrogen salt (potassium, etc.,), magnesium carbonate, formulations of the above, and mixtures of the above.
  • seasonings disclosed in (30) and mixtures thereof include: (36) inorganic pigment, natural or synthetic dye, coloring agents such as caramel, cacao powder and carbon black, and mixtures thereof; (37) flavors such as natural and synthetic flavors and adjusting agents, and mixtures thereof; and (38) mixtures of the materials listed in (30), (36) and (37) above.
  • the above-mentioned materials are used as raw materials for biodegradable molded articles, and the biodegradable molded articles are manufactured by the following heating methods which use several types of heating either alone or in combination.
  • a heating device which includes, for example, an AC power source capable of freely setting a voltage and a pair of electrodes connected thereto and is applicable to the above heating methods is used.
  • a biodegradable molded article which has a uniform structure and can be disposed of in a simple manner, was efficiently produced by placing any of the above-mentioned raw materials in the heating device and heating the raw materials by the above-mentioned heating methods 1) to 5).
  • the heat is generated in the biodegradable material itself by the application of high-frequency electroconductive heating and/or high-frequency dielectric heating to the material, variations in the temperature are unlikely to occur in heating the material. It is therefore possible to uniformly heat the entire material in a shorter period of time with a reduced amount of heat dissipation in the surrounding area (i.e., heat loss) and with improved energy efficiency.
  • high-frequency electroconductive heating and high-frequency dielectric heating can more efficiently and uniformly heat the material when the moisture content of the material is relatively low.
  • biodegradable molded articles having a uniform structure are produced within a short time, the quality and mass-productivity are significantly improved compared to, for example, conventional thermal conductive heating. Furthermore, since a required device is similar in size compared with that required when, for example, performing compression molding, the cost of equipment is reduced. Additionally, since noise and vibration are unlikely to occur, the working environment is not adversely affected.
  • low-frequency electroconductive heating in combination with high-frequency electroconductive heating and/or high-frequency dielectric heating, it is possible to use both the advantages of high-frequency electroconductive heating and/or high-frequency dielectric heating and low-frequency electroconductive heating for the manufacture of biodegradable molded articles.
  • biodegradable molded articles were produced using extrusion together with the heating methods 1) to 5).
  • the raw material is first placed into the extruder, and then mixing, kneading, shearing, heating and expanding are performed.
  • high-frequency electroconductive heating high-frequency dielectric heating, low-frequency electroconductive heating, and extrusion are not limited to those mentioned above. Namely, they are suitably selected and combined depending on the material used and the characteristics of biodegradable molded articles.
  • Materials to be molded having the compositions shown in Tables 1 and 2 were prepared by the preparation method 1.
  • the molded articles were produced by heating the materials with each of the heating devices A to C, and the molding times were measured.
  • the mold used was heated to a predetermined temperature in advance, and then electromagnetic heating was performed. Trays having 150 mm in width, 250 mm in length, and 20 mm in thickness were molded using the material having the composition shown in Table 1. The results are shown in Table 3. Similarly, cubes having 100 mm in width, 100 mm in length, and 100 mm in height were molded using the raw material having the composition shown in Table 2. The results are shown in Table 4. The times shown in Tables 3 and 4 indicate the time taken for producing quality molded articles.
  • the heating methods used in this example are superior to the conventional thermal conductive heating method. Namely, the heating methods of this example enable the manufacture of molded articles at mold temperatures at which molding is infeasible with conventional thermal conductive heating, and achieve a significant reduction in the molding time.
  • Molding was performed by setting the heating devices as shown in Table 6 and using such devices, either alone or in combination, so that molded articles had a moisture content of 5 percent by weight. The heating time necessary for fabricating quality molded articles was observed. Tables 7 and 8 show the results. In Table 8, arrows indicate the order of carrying out the heating treatment. For example, "D (12 seconds) ⁇ B (13 seconds)" means performing heating for 12 seconds using the heating device D, and then executing heating for 13 seconds using the heating device B.
  • molded articles were produced by heating raw materials having varying moisture content as shown below in the same manner as in Example 3 by performing low-frequency electroconductive heating and then high-frequency dielectric heating.
  • sheets were fabricated by placing the mixed materials on flat electrodes (not shown) according to the preparation method 2. Namely, the mixed materials were heated for 10 seconds by setting the frequency and output of the low-frequency electroconductive heating device D at 60 Hz and 200 W, respectively.
  • compositions a, b, and c in Table 9 indicate that the moisture contents of the sheets are 30 percent, 50 percent, and 70 percent by weight, respectively.
  • Molded articles similar to those produced by application of low-frequency electroconductive heating were fabricated by performing high-frequency electroconductive heating instead of low-frequency electroconductive heating.
  • Each of the sheets was cut into a suitable size and used as the material to be molded. Then, thermal molding was performed by setting the heating devices as shown in Table 10 and by applying heating to the materials to be molded using only one of or a plurality of the heating devices.
  • a material to be molded was produced from a raw material having the composition shown in Table 14 by agitating and mixing the raw material according to the preparation method 1.
  • the material to be molded was placed into the mold M1, and dielectrically heated for 10 seconds by setting the frequency and output of the high-frequency dielectric heating device B at 27.12 MHz and 5 kW, respectively. Then, electroconductive heating was performed by switching to the low-frequency electroconductive heating device D whose frequency and output were set at 60 Hz and 200 W, respectively, to fabricate a molded article. Variations in the moisture content and strength of the molded article were measured over time. The results are shown as a condition 1 in Table 15. The strength was examined using a rheometer to measure a maximum stress before the molded article ruptured.
  • a molded article was produced by only performing high-frequency dielectric heating for 60 seconds at a frequency of 27.12 MHz and an output of 5 kW. Variations in the moisture content and strength of the molded article were measured over time. The results are shown as a condition 2 in Table 15.
  • the molded article exhibited satisfactory strength when the moisture content of the molded article was in the range of from 5 to 16 percent by weight due to the relationship between the moisture content and strength shown in Table 15.
  • the moisture content of the molded article was less than 5 percent by weight, the molded article did not have flexibility, and was fragile.
  • the moisture content of the molded article exceeded 20 percent by weight, the molded article was too soft and could not keep its shape.
  • the molding time is further reduced.
  • the molded article having desired properties was produced by performing low-frequency electroconductive heating after high-frequency dielectric heating while easily controlling the moisture content of the molded article within a wider range.
  • a material having the composition shown in Table 16 was placed into the twin screw extruder of the device F and a sheet was prepared according to the preparation method 3.
  • five kinds of sheets having varying moisture content were produced by adjusting the amount of water to be put into the extruder together with the raw material having the composition shown in FIG. 16 so that the moisture content of the sheets were 60, 40, 20, 10, and 5 percent by weight, respectively.
  • the sheets containing varying moisture content were cut into a suitable size to prepare materials to be molded. Then, the materials were molded by performing heating using the heating devices either alone or in combination, which were set as shown in Table 17.
  • the heating time, moisture content after the molding process, and moldability were examined. The results are shown in Tables 18 to 22. When the materials before molding had the same moisture content, the same heating time was used for molding, and the moisture content after molding was measured. The molding speed was determined by the amount of reduction in the moisture content.
  • Tables 18 to 22 shows the results when sheets of the materials containing 60, 40, 20, 10, and 5 percent by weight of moisture, respectively, were used. Similar to the above examples, the arrows in these tables indicate the order of executing the heating treatment. Moreover, the single-circle means “good”, the triangle means “relatively poor”, and the cross mark means “poor”.
  • the efficiency of molding can be improved by selecting an optimum heating method depending on the moisture content of a material to be molded.
  • the preparation method 3 is an effective method for preparing materials having a low moisture content. Moreover, the preparation method 3 is advantageous since it enables continuous production of materials in sheet form.
  • Materials to be molded were prepared using raw materials having compositions including whey protein as a principal material as shown in Table 23, according to the preparation method 1. As shown in Table 23, three kinds of molded articles a, b, and c were produced with the use of these materials to be molded. More specifically, tray-like thin molded articles were fabricated by molding these materials using the heating device B employing the high-frequency dielectric heating method (the molded articles a and b) or the heating device E employing the conventional thermal conductive heating method (the molded article c). In this case, the frequency and output of the heating device B were set at 13.56 MHz and 5 kW, respectively.
  • Materials to be molded were prepared using two kinds of raw materials having the compositions shown in Table 24 according to the preparation method 1.
  • the mold M1 was used, and the materials having these compositions were heated with the low-frequency electroconductive heating device D whose frequency and output were set at 60 Hz and 200 W, respectively, and then were heated with the high-frequency dielectric heating device B whose frequency and output were set at 40.68 MHz and 5 kW, respectively.
  • Biodegradable molded articles produced from the raw materials having the above-mentioned compositions using the respective devices had uniform structure, no variations in color, and satisfactory strength. In addition, these molded articles had good taste and texture as edible containers.
  • a material to be molded was prepared using a material having the composition shown in Table 25 according to the preparation method 1.
  • the mold M1 was used, and the material was heated using the high-frequency dielectric heating device B whose frequency and output were set at 27.12 MHz and 7 kW, respectively.
  • a biodegradable molded article produced from the material having the above-mentioned composition using the heating device B had uniform structure, no variations in color, and satisfactory strength.
  • Molded articles were manufactured using residues resulting from producing alcoholic drinks such as those shown in Table 26, residues resulting from producing or processing drinks of fruits and vegetables such as those shown in Table 27, residues of bean curd resulting from producing tofu, and residues resulting from producing foods and drinks, for example, tea leaves and ground coffee beans remaining after the infusion of tea or coffee as shown in Table 28.
  • compositions shown in Table 27 egg white was used so as to provide a molded article with a uniform texture.
  • titanium dioxide was used as a dielectric loss adjusting agent so as to increase the dielectric loss of the materials to be molded.
  • the raw materials shown in Table 26 were used as materials to be molded without auxiliary agents. Additionally, materials to be molded were prepared by arranging the materials of Tables 27 and 28 to have the compositions shown in Tables 27 and 28 by the preparation method 1.
  • Tray-like molded articles were fabricated by dielectrically heating the materials having the above-mentioned compositions through the mold M2 with the high-frequency dielectric heating device C whose frequency and output were set at 2450 MHz and 7 kW, respectively.
  • Materials to be molded were prepared using materials having the compositions shown in Table 29 according to the preparation method 1.
  • Tray-like molded articles containing starch as a principal material were produced by heating the materials to be molded through the mold M1 with the high-frequency electroconductive heating device A whose frequency and output were set at 800 kHz and 200 W, respectively, and then heating with the high-frequency dielectric heating device B whose frequency and output were set at 13.56 MHz and 5 kW, respectively.
  • Materials to be molded were prepared using raw materials having the compositions shown in Table 30 according to the preparation method 1. Tray-like molded articles were fabricated by heating the materials to be molded through the mold M1 with the high-frequency electroconductive heating device A whose frequency and output were set at 1 MHz and 200 W, respectively, and then heating with the high-frequency dielectric heating device B whose frequency and output were set at 27.12 MHz and 7 kW, respectively. In this example, sugar was added as a plasticizer.
  • the same raw materials were heated for the same amount of time by the conventional thermal conductive heating device E.
  • the resulting products were too soft and had insufficient strength due to the short heating time.
  • Materials to be molded were prepared using raw materials having the compositions shown in Table 31 according to the preparation method 1. Tray-like molded articles were fabricated by heating the materials to be molded through the mold M1 with the low-frequency electroconductive heating device D whose frequency and output were set at 60 Hz and 200 W, respectively, and then heating with the high-frequency dielectric heating device B whose frequency and output were set at 13.56 MHz and 5 kW, respectively.
  • Three kinds of materials to be molded were prepared using raw materials having the compositions shown in Table 32 in which wheat gluten was used as a principal material, esters of fatty acid with polyglycerin was used as a material handling adjusting agent, and sodium polyphosphate was used as an electrical conductivity adjusting agent, according to the preparation method 1.
  • Tray-like molded articles were fabricated by heating the material to be molded through the mold M1 with the high-frequency electroconductive heating device A whose frequency and output were set at 1 MHz and 200 W, respectively, and then heating with the high-frequency dielectric heating device B whose frequency and output were set at 13.56 MHz and 5 kW, respectively.
  • Three kinds of materials to be molded were prepared using raw materials including dried egg white as a principal material and adding cellulose as a strength adjusting agent and sodium sulfate as an electrical conductivity adjusting agent as shown in Table 33 according to the preparation method 1.
  • Tray-like molded articles were molded by heating the materials to be molded with the low-frequency electroconductive heating device D whose frequency and output were set at 60 Hz and 200 W, respectively, and then heating with the high-frequency dielectric heating device B whose frequency and output were set at 40.68 MHz and 3 kW, respectively.
  • Biodegradable molded articles having good quality were produced from any of the three kinds of raw materials having the above-mentioned compositions. The results also proved that the molding time can be shortened by increasing the electrical conductivity with the addition of the electrical conductivity adjusting agent.
  • biodegradable molded articles produced by adding cellulose as a strength adjusting agent had excellent strength.
  • Three kinds of materials to be molded a, b and c having the compositions shown in Table 34 were prepared by the preparation method 1.
  • the frequency and output of the high-frequency electroconductive heating device A were set at 1 MHz and 300 W, respectively.
  • the frequency and output of the high-frequency dielectric heating device B were set at 13.56 MHz and 5 kW, respectively.
  • the frequency and output of the high-frequency dielectric heating device C were set at 2450 MHz and 5 kW, respectively.
  • Table 35 molded articles were fabricated using the materials having the compositions a to c shown in Table 34 in combination with the heating devices. The molding time taken for the completion of the fabrication of molded articles and the moldability thereof were observed. The results are also shown in Table 35. In Table 35, the single-circle represents "good".
  • Eight kinds of materials to be molded were prepared by using corn starch and waxy corn starch as a principal material and adding titanium dioxide as a dielectric loss adjusting agent and sodium bicarbonate as an expanding agent as shown in Table 36 according to the preparation method 1. Molded articles in the shape of a cube were produced by heating the materials to be molded through the mold M6 with the high-frequency dielectric heating device C whose frequency and output were set at 2450 MHz and 7 kW, respectively. The molded articles were 100 mm in length, 100 mm in width, and 100 mm in height.
  • Quality biodegradable molded articles were manufactured using any of eight kinds of the raw materials having the above-mentioned compositions.
  • the molding time is reduced by using materials having a high expansion coefficient.
  • the manufactured molded articles have the same size, they have varied expansion coefficients due to the differences in composition thereof. Therefore, the ratio of the amount of material put into the mold is equal to the molding weight ratio. Namely, when the expansion coefficient is large (i.e., when the molding weight ratio is small), a reduced amount of material is used, thereby shortening the molding time.
  • the weight, cushioning, heat insulating property, and strength of the molded articles can be suitably adjusted by controlling the expansion coefficient. This is particularly effective when producing cushioning materials for use as packaging materials.
  • a sheet of material 21 shown in FIG. 8 was prepared from sweet potato starch as a principal material by adding sorbitol as a plasticizer as shown in Table 37 according to the preparation method 3.
  • a material 23 to be molded was prepared by placing the sheet of material 21 and soybean protein sheets 22 having water and moisture resistant properties one upon another in the order shown in FIG. 8, i.e., placing the soybean protein sheets 22 on each surface of the sheet of material 21, and by cutting them into a suitable size.
  • the material 23 was placed in the mold M1, and dielectrically heated by setting the frequency and output of the high-frequency dielectric heating device B at 13.56 MHz and 5 kW, respectively.
  • a tray-like molded article 24 which was coated by laminating a surface thereof with soybean protein was fabricated as shown in FIG. 9.
  • Tray-like molded articles were fabricated by agitating and mixing a raw material having the composition shown in Table 37 according to preparation method 1, placing the resulting material as a material to be molded in the mold M1, and dielectrically heating the material with the high-frequency dielectric heating device B whose frequency and output were set at 13.56 MHz and 5 kW, respectively. Then, the molded articles were laminated with soybean protein sheets, dammar resin sheets, and carnauba wax sheets, respectively, by a pressure-laminating method. As a result, molded articles similar to those shown in FIG. 9 were produced. The molded articles exhibited water resistant properties similar to those shown in Table 38.
  • the compression laminating method was used as a method for laminating a tray-like molded article with sheets having water and moisture resistant properties.
  • the present invention is not limited to this method, and any methods may be employed as long as they allow laminating a tray surface with sheets having water and moisture resistant properties.
  • the thickness of a laminated section having water and moisture resistant properties is not particularly limited, a thickness not larger than 1 mm is preferable considering the usage, handling and maintenance.
  • the sheets having water and moisture resistant properties employed in this example may be formed into films.
  • Such sheets and films are generally produced by casting, compression press and extrusion molding methods. However, the formation of such sheets and films is not particularly limited to these methods and sheets and films may be formed by any methods.
  • a plasticizer an emulsifying agent, a stabilizer, a texture and homogeneity adjusting agent, a preservative, a coloring agent, etc. may be added, if necessary, in forming sheets or films having water and moisture resistant properties.
  • raw materials for sheets and films having water and moisture resistant properties other than those mentioned in this example may be used: casein and salts thereof, egg white, gluten, zein, milk protein, gelatin, high protein materials such as yeast extract, grains such as soybeans, gutta percha, sandarac resin, shellac, jelutong, sorva, chicle, myrrh, peru balsam, rosins such as gum rosin, wood rosin and tall oil rosin, gilsonite, rubber, candelilla wax, beeswax, paraffin wax, microcrystalline wax, and mixtures thereof.
  • suitable materials for such sheets and films are not limited to those mentioned above, and any materials may be used as long as they have water and moisture resistance and are processable into sheet or film form.
  • a material to be molded was prepared using a raw material shown in Table 39 according to preparation method 1.
  • a tray-like molded article having 150 mm in width, 250 mm in length, and 20 mm in height was produced by placing the material to be molded in the mold M1, and heating the material with the high-frequency dielectric heating device B whose frequency and output were set at 13.56 MHz and 5 kW, respectively.
  • coating agents were produced by preparing water and moisture resistance imparting agents formed by biodegradable resins, fats, wax, etc. at the compounding ratio shown in Table 40.
  • the coating agents as water and moisture resistance imparting agents were applied to the front and back surfaces of the molded articles. Then, 100 ml of water with a temperature of 20° C. was poured into the coated trays, and the time for water to leak from the bottom thereof was observed to determine water resistant properties.
  • molded articles having water and moisture resistant properties were produced by spreading and coating the molded articles fabricated by electromagnetic heating with materials having water and moisture resistant properties.
  • the water and moisture resistant layer formed on the front surface of the molded article protects the molded article from moisture. Therefore, even if such a molded article is used as a container for food containing a large amount of moisture, leakage of water hardly occurs. Consequently, the water-resistant, moisture-resistant, and water-proof properties are improved.
  • water and moisture resistance imparting agents for preparing the coating agent are casein and salts thereof, collagen, egg white, gluten, zein, milk protein, gelatin, high-protein materials such as yeast extract, grains such as soybeans, gutta percha, jelutong, sorva, chicle, myrrh, peru balsam, rosins such as gum rosin, wood rosin and tall oil rosin, gilsonite, rubber, candelilla wax, beeswax, paraffin wax, microcrystalline wax, and mixtures thereof.
  • suitable materials for such a coating layer is not limited to those mentioned above.
  • Solvents for example, water, alcohol, ether, carbon tetrachloride, acetone, benzene, ethyl acetate, toluene and hexane, may be used for the preparation of solutions (coating agents) having water and moisture resistant properties.
  • solvents are not particularly limited to those materials.
  • a water and moisture resistant layer is formed on the surface of the molded article by, for example, spraying a water and moisture resistant solution, or dipping the molded article in the water and moisture resistant solution.
  • the thickness of the water and moisture resistant layer is not particularly limited, a thickness not larger than 1 mm is preferable considering the usage, handling and maintenance. Additionally, although both of the front and back surfaces of the trays were coated in this example, it is also possible to coat only the front surface or back surface thereof depending on the usage.
  • materials to be molded were prepared by adding additives such as biodegradable resins, fats and wax as water and moisture resistance imparting agents to the raw material shown in Table 39 of Example 19 at the ratio shown in Table 41, mixing and agitating the mixture.
  • additives such as biodegradable resins, fats and wax as water and moisture resistance imparting agents
  • Example 20 was carried out in the same manner as in Example 19 except those mentioned above. More specifically, tray-like molded articles having 150 mm in width, 250 mm in length, and 20 mm in height were produced by placing the materials to be molded in the mold M1, and heating the materials with the high-frequency dielectric heating device B whose frequency and output were set at 13.56 MHz and 5 kW, respectively.
  • the molded articles produced by adding the above-mentioned additives exhibited water resistant properties for 24 hours or more. Whereas the molded article produced without adding those additives showed water resistant properties only for 10 minutes. This proves that when a molded article is produced by adding a raw material having water and moisture resistant properties to a material to be molded, the molded article has water resistant properties.
  • the moisture content of the molded articles was varied by the following three methods W1, W2 and W3.
  • a material to be molded was prepared using the raw material shown in Table 39 of Example 19 according to preparation method 1. Molded articles having a uniform moisture content (1 percent by weight) were fabricated by placing the material to be molded in the mold M1, and heating the material with the high-frequency dielectric heating device B whose frequency and output were set at 13.56 MHz and 5 kW, respectively.
  • molded articles having varying moisture contents as shown in Table 42 were produced by subjecting the molded articles to a temperature of 35° C. and a relative humidity of 65 percent and varying the time.
  • the strength of each of the molded articles having varying moisture contents was measured in the same manner as in Example 5. The results are also shown in Table 42.
  • a material to be molded was prepared using the raw material shown in Example 19 according to the preparation method 1. Molded articles were fabricated by placing the material to be molded in the mold M1, and heating the material for 10 seconds with the high-frequency dielectric heating device B whose frequency and output were set at 13.56 MHz and 5 kW, respectively, and then heating with the low-frequency electroconductive heating device D whose frequency and output were set at 60 Hz and 200 W, respectively. In this case, molded articles having varying moisture contents were produced by adjusting the low-frequency electroconductive heating time within a range between zero and 50 seconds as shown in Table 43. The strength of each of the molded articles having varying moisture contents was measured in the same manner as in Example 5. The results are also shown in Table 43.
  • tray-like molded articles having a moisture content of 1 percent by weight as in method W1 were fabricated using the raw material shown in Example 19. Then, molded articles having varying moisture contents were produced by spreading thereon water-containing coating agents (water and moisture resistance imparting agents) shown in Table 44. The strength of each of the molded articles having varying moisture contents was measured in the same manner as in Example 5. The results are also shown in Table 44.
  • the strength of the molded article depends largely on the moisture content, and that a desirable molded article with improved strength can be produced by adjusting the moisture content in the range of from 3 to 30 percent by weight, more preferably, in the range of 5 to 20 percent by weight. It is thus possible to suitably prevent deformation and cracking of the molded article. Consequently, molded articles are more suitably used in their applications.
  • the moisture content is less than 3 percent by weight, the resulting molded article becomes fragile.
  • the moisture content exceeds 30 percent by weight the resulting molded article becomes too soft and cannot maintain its shape.
  • the strength of each of the molded articles coated with the coating agent was superior to the strength of the molded article which was not coated with the coating agent irrespectively of the moisture content thereof.
  • the molded article which was coated with a water-containing coating agent so that the molded article had a moisture content between 4 and 23 percent by weight was strengthened an amount similar to or better than those obtained by the method W1 and W2. Therefore, by adjusting the moisture content of the coating agent to be applied to the molded article, it is possible to simultaneously adjust the moisture content of the molded article and gain desired strength as well as to impart water and moisture resistant properties to the molded article.
  • Materials a and b to be molded having the compositions shown in Table 45, were prepared using raw materials including calcium chloride as a humectant according to the preparation method 1.
  • Tray-like molded articles were produced by placing the materials to be molded in the mold M1 and heating the materials with the high-frequency dielectric heating device B whose frequency and output were set at 13.56 MHz and 7 kW, respectively.

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EP0692357B1 (de) 2003-04-09
AU686382B2 (en) 1998-02-05
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KR960004406A (ko) 1996-02-23
JPH0881565A (ja) 1996-03-26
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CA2154437C (en) 2000-09-05
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KR100208971B1 (ko) 1999-07-15
CA2154437A1 (en) 1996-01-12

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